Lee Hudson

In 1981, with degrees in Horticulture and Viticulture/Enology, Houston native Lee Hudson scoured Oregon and Northern California in search of a site to call his own. He found a 2,000 acre property in the little-known Carneros wine region, a historic terrain that had grown vines for over 100 years and served as the location of the first successful American experiments to develop phylloxera-resistant rootstock. Lee seized the opportunity and began to plant Chardonnay.

Today, the charming farmer almost needs no introduction. Now a forerunner in Carneros Chardonnay and one of Northern California’s pre-eminent growers, Lee’s 2000 acre Hudson Ranch, of which 200 acres are planted to vine, also houses the grower’s record-breaking giant pumpkins and heritage pigs.